


Wounded Mind

by Lulu_1777



Series: Wounded Mind [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky Barnes Remembers, Bucky Barnes Returns, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Bucky leading Steve, Bucky watching Steve, Captain America - Freeform, Clint Barton & Steve Rogers Friendship, Cuddling & Snuggling, Hurt Bucky Barnes, Hurt Steve Rogers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Natasha Is a Good Bro, Natasha is also against Bucky, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Sam Wilson, Protective Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Sam doesn't like Bucky, Sam is very protective, Sleepy Cuddles, Steve Feels, Steve Has Issues, Steve Needs a Hug, Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson Friendship, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark Friendship, Steve Rogers Feels, Steve Rogers and the 21st Century, Steve isn't a morning person, Tony Likes Bucky's arm, Tony Stark Has A Heart, sleepy steve, worried Bucky
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-26
Updated: 2015-10-26
Packaged: 2018-04-28 08:21:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5085340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lulu_1777/pseuds/Lulu_1777
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of Steve Rogers’ strange and sleepless nights while searching for Bucky Barnes, who is secretly closer than he’d ever imagined.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Please comment if you would like the story to continue. It's greatly appreciated and I hope you enjoy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Night One

~~\- Night One -~~

 

It was the rustling of bed sheets and muffled groans that had him startled awake their first night on the search.

   Dazed and confused, Steve rolled over on the hard motel mattress to glare at Sam Wilson, his right hand man, standing at the foot of his bed with a pistol. Holding it firmly in his hands as he neared the window on the right side of Steve’s bed, the curtains flowing with the musty Virginia air. “Sam, what is it? What did you hear?” The Falcon simply held up a finger, shushing the Captain as he finally reached the windows opening. He stuck his head out quickly, taking a good few glances around the alley-way below them before retreating back inside, lowering his pistol. “I don’t know man, I could’ve sworn I saw someone looking in the window.”

    Steve sat up rather slowly, shrugging the overpowering feeling of uneasiness off his shoulders. Sam had yet to return to his bed, closer to the door rather than said window. He kept his gaze on it for a couple more seconds, mentally debating if he should ask Steve to switch beds with him, but decided not to in fear of startling Steve. He already had enough to worry about. “Sorry man, must’ve been dreaming or something.” Sam said slowly, releasing his gaze from the window to look at Steve. He was sat upright, back pressed against the headboard, staring holes into Sam’s head. “What was it that you thought you saw?”

     Sam gulped and shifted backwards towards his bed, “don’t worry about it Steve, it was probably nothing. It was just a stupid dream.”


	2. Night Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A collection of Steve Rogers’ strange and sleepless nights while searching for Bucky Barnes, who is secretly closer than he’d ever imagined.
> 
> Please comment if you enjoy this and wish for me to continue. I love this series.

\- Night Two -

The next night brings chaos, their plan unexpectedly taking a turn for the worst. It leaves Sam with a busted up shoulder and a fractured ankle, but ok compared to what he went through in DC. Steve on the other hand, wasn’t so fortunate.

     As they stumble into yet another motel room on the other side of town, Steve being guided by Sam’s good side, Steve puts together two things. One, the evidence given to them by a local source was a trap from the get go, and two, he and Sam were only the bait. But whatever their reason was, they certainly didn’t have a problem beating the crap out of Steve, for he know sported two broken ribs, from what he could count, and a bunch of fractured bones of which he lost count.

     “Next time, when I say something doesn’t feel right…we go with plan B!” Sam snarls, placing Steve, who is barely conscious, on the bed closest to the window. It just made him even madder, but he couldn’t argue. With Steve’s current mental and physical state, it was probably best for him to bunk down near the door.

     “And what is plan B exactly, since you have everything all mapped out!”

     Sam snarled under his breath and turned, insults pricking the tip of his tongue. He sighed deeply, seeing the worn and depressed expression on the Captains face, it immediately made him want to tell a joke, just to see Steve’s smile. “Steve…how long has it been since you’ve slept through the night?”

     Steve sighed, deciding that it would be best to lie down. He bit back a yelp and glared across the room, mentally noting that Sam had yet to sit, even with his ankle. “Last I checked, it was a long time ago and I was very small.”

     Sam didn’t add anything to that, having heard the tiredness behind the Captain’s voice. He took a seat on his bed, giving Steve a soft smile before turning the lights out. It didn’t take them long, but Sam defiantly drifted off first. His quiet snores echoing throughout their small motel room, the sound was just enough to put Steve at ease, and he too fell into the pits of sleep.

 

Their peaceful slumber was abruptly ended some three hours later, when Steve’s heartbreaking screams woke Sam with a start.

     He reached for his pillow on pure instinct, expecting to find his 45, but was utterly disappointed when he would it missing. That’s when he remembered, in their attempt to flee their old motel room, it was one of the many things left behind, and sadly that had been his fault.

     “Steve? Steve what’s wrong!” He called, fumbling for the light switch in the dark. Once he’d found it, he immediately wished he’d hadn’t. It was beyond heartbreaking, but something immediately felt wrong and he found himself racing to get out of bed.

     Steve laid on his side with his knees tucked into himself, another scream fresh on his lips. It took Sam a minute, but after looking his friend over, he found something else entirely wrong.

     “Steve! Steve, open your eyes! Come on man, wake up!”

     Sam started shaking him, trying his absolute hardest not to cause him any more pain. But he couldn’t take the sight of Steve in so much pain, and his screams made his heart ache.

     “Steve, man, I’m begging ya. Wake up.”

     Finally, he broke through.

     “Mmh, Sam?”

     “Yeah man, it’s just me.” Sam replies, sighing with relief.

     “What happened, didn’t Natasha call?”

     “No, sorry.”

     “Oh, well, did you need me or something?”

     Sam leaned back on his heels, a confused scowl appearing tiredly on his lips.

     “Steve, why do you think I woke you up?”

     Steve leaned up slowly, clutching at his now wrapped ribs. He took a good look at Sam’s expression and immediately darted his gaze around the room, fear and hope bouncing around in his chest.

     “Sam, what’s going on?” He asked, tone pierced with fear.

     “I don’t know man, I woke up and found you curled in on yourself. You were screaming bloody murder, what was I supposed to do, sit and watch?”

     Steve winced, turning his gaze towards the tightly shut window beside him. “I don’t remember screaming. Sorry for waking you.”

     Sam sighed, “Hey, don’t worry about that, I feel rested already. My only question is, when did you wrap yourself up? I don’t remember seeing you do it before I fell asleep, did you do it while I was out?”

     Steve stopped, feeling the neatly wrapped bandages on his ribs. His heart stuttered, rising to sit in his throat, he could feel it throbbing with every breath. It had to have been Bucky, that’s the only reasonable explanation. He thought, taking another gander at the window.

     “Wait, what’s that?” Sam started, flicking Steve’s bedside lamp on. He narrowed his gaze over to the floor beside the window, and that’s when Steve spotted it. It wasn’t big and he would’ve probably mistook it for a piece of trash, but it appeared to be a small strip of paper, neatly folded on the floor. “I don’t know, I don’t remember leaving trash around?”

     Thanks to the serum and the small motel bed he was laying on, Steve’s arm was long enough to reach down and grab the small piece of paper. Not that he had any time to open it, seeing as Sam snatched it from him as soon as they made eye contact. Sam wasted no time on opening it.

     “It’s from Nat…” He said, confused on how he didn’t hear her come in, not even her perfume was present and that was always his first clue.

     “What does it say?” Steve asked, trying to grab the note but wincing instead.

     “It simply says, ‘You’re Welcome, Nat.’ But how didn’t you hear her?”

     Steve sat puzzled. Maybe it wasn’t Bucky, he thought. But he still hoped, and that was always enough to keep him going.


	3. Night Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A collection of Steve Rogers’ strange and sleepless nights while searching for Bucky Barnes, who is secretly closer than he’d ever imagined.
> 
>  
> 
> Please comment if you would like me to continue this series, it's one of my favorites.

\- Night Three -

 

Bucky climbed silently up the edge of an old motel, his metal arm clawing and digging at its rotting structure in order to keep himself upright and moving. He hadn’t expected it, but Steve and Sam had almost found him this time. Almost.

     They’d followed him to Dublin, Ohio. A small town of which Bucky had no recognition of, and it certainly wasn’t somewhere he’d want Steve to witness. But, just like he’d anticipated, Steve would follow him. Picking up on the bread crumbs Bucky was leaving behind, because he wanted Steve to follow him, even though he hadn’t found himself yet.

 

When Bucky successfully made it up to the third floor, he stopped abruptly. If he’d heard it right, this was the room Sam had checked them into hours earlier, and even though the blinds were shut, he knew it was safe. Steve couldn’t run long without at least seven hours of sleep, and that’s what made it safe. That was why he was here now, in the dead of night, knowing Steve and Sam had already called it a night hours earlier.

     He grimaced, using his metal arm to raise the creaky window. He let it go once it was wide enough for him to slide in, and he already had that down to a science. But there was always one thing, one thing he couldn’t keep out of his head, and every time he’d visit during the night, when it was safe and Sam was asleep, he’d long to do it. Just like he was right now, standing in the darkness of their small dusty motel room. He could easily pick out which bed Sam was in, thanks to his snoring, and it just so happened to be the one closest to the window. Damn, guess he finally got smart, Bucky thought, quietly moving past the sleeping Falcon.

     When he finally made it to Steve, he took a sharp breath in. He was beautiful, and was peacefully asleep. Something Bucky hadn’t seen in a long time.

     Bucky took time to admire him. Loving the way he laid on his neatly bandaged side, _I hope it helped him, I did the best I could,_ Bucky thought, smiling. He almost darted towards the window when Steve suddenly moved, turning to lay on his back, his right arm coming to land on his chest with a soft thud. It made Bucky chuckle inside, but he remained still, and watched.

     It felt like hours, and he just stood there. Quietly watching as the man he was supposed to remember slept so peacefully, he’d suddenly gotten the image of someone else breaking in like this, standing over Steve as he slept. But he imagined them hurting him, trying to kill him like he had back in DC, and god knows he’ll never forgive himself. _I will always be here for you, to protect you. No one, will ever hurt you again, I promise Steve_. He thought, not having it in him to say it out loud. He smiled quietly, moving slowly to pull Steve’s cover where they laid at his knees. He covered him with a smile and turned, chuckling to himself as he passed Sam. _Thank you for always believing in him Sam. God knows I’ll let you know out loud one day._ He thought, turning for the last time before disappearing into the night. Not a thing out of place, he was completely untraceable.


End file.
